Flexible solar panels
Submitted: Monday, Aug 31, 2020 at 18:42
ThreadID:
140445
Views:
34597
Replies:
5
FollowUps:
10
This Thread has been Archived
arofs1
I am about to change from a 3 way to 2 way fridge and need about 300 watts of extra solar. I would like to install flexible solar panels because of their weight, but I am aware of the grossly over-rated comments on most of the flexible panels and have personal experience of an ATEM, so called 120watt, that I bought some time ago to use as a moveable panel that only outputs about 65% of a 110 watt glass panel I have and is about 12 years old and would be rated more like 70 watts. Because I could prove my tests, I got about 40% of the cost reimbursed to me by Vic Roads, via Kogan.
I am interested in and good and bad experiences of people who have bought flexible solar panels fairly recently. I have searched the past threads and all similar threads are very old. Brian DJ
Reply By: qldcamper - Tuesday, Sep 01, 2020 at 08:12
Tuesday, Sep 01, 2020 at 08:12
I wont go into my experience here with Outbax but you can read about it on productreview.com.au
I do like the weight factor about the flexables and other than the over rating the other fault I found was the glands do not grip the output cables
well enough allowing the cable insulation to rotate when moved and the low quality wire begins to break strands very quickly if used as portables.
To overcome this I opened up the terminal box and cut out the silicone and removed the original cables which entered from both sides and replaced them with 4mm twin sheath automotive cable entering from just one side. The wire is the same size but the insulation is much smaller and has a flat profile so the gland grips it
well enough to stop movement, and the cable is much more flexible and fits deutsch connectors perfectly which reduces the size considerably from the anderson connectors I had previously.
AnswerID:
633200
Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Wednesday, Sep 02, 2020 at 07:52
Wednesday, Sep 02, 2020 at 07:52
I remember your first post about Outbax Qldcamper, and thought it was a rant.
However, I have been looking at solar panels lately and they do appear to make wildly misleading claims time after time. And there are many unsatisfied buyers.
Their output claims are double what they appear to put out.
I agree. Avoid them like the plague. ( so to speak)
FollowupID:
910199
Follow Up By: qldcamper - Wednesday, Sep 02, 2020 at 09:25
Wednesday, Sep 02, 2020 at 09:25
Dont get me wrong Boobook, it was a rant but it was a justifiable rant. I will never put in writing comments about a companies ethics being illegal unless I can justify it hence I never returned the product for a refund. That would have been no help to anyone.
If they advertised them as 70 watt panels for the same price nobody would have realised but they would have taken longer to sell.
How many hundreds did they sell to people that think they have several hundred watts up there and then thought they needed a bigger battery.......oh hang on, outbax sell lithiums now dont they.
FollowupID:
910202